Favorite albums of 2013? Geez, Louise. I'm one of those people whose brain freezes when you ask a question like that. Any list I come up with will invariably be incomplete. I'm always forgetting something.

Still, let's give it a try:

•"The Middle," by James Keyes: One of the region's most talented singer-songwriters, backed by some of the best musicians around: Was there any way this album be a wouldn't be a stunner? Keyes has created a multitextured album that's evocative, moving and imminently listenable.

•"The Electric Lady," by Janelle MonŠe: MonŠe continues her musical trek into a world where mainstream pop intersects with jazz intersects with something totally out of this world. This album is, as the title implies, electrifying, especially the upbeat and terribly fun "Dance Apocalyptic."

•"The Big Scary Monster Hunts At Midnight," by The Deadites: This wicked little album by Worcester's Halloween favorites hits a wide range of electro-pop sounds and monster-movie themes. The end result is a moody and dark-humored collection that can be listened to all year long, especially rich, atmospheric songs such as songs such as "Underground Sky" and "Aquaphobic."

•"Wise Up Ghost," by Elvis Costello and The Roots: Honestly, this album could have been a train wreck. Sometimes, you put two musical forces together with divergent sounds, and the result is often muddied and uneven. Indeed, Costello has one or two of those under his belt already. But not this one. This one brings out the best of both him and the soul-funk-hip-hop rockers, and every inch of it shines.

•"The Folks Below," by The Folks Below: Featuring Holly Brewer and Nate Greenslit of the New England-based band HUMANWINE, this rock opera descent into a dystopian future bristles with rage, heartbreak and, ultimately hope. Moreover, it showcases a wide range of the musicians' talents, taking a brisk survey of musical styles that somehow all fit together cohesively.

•"We The Common," by Thao and The Get Down Stay Down: Frontwoman Thao Nguyen and band are creating some of the freshest and most vibrant work out there today, and this album, especially the arresting single "Holy Roller," cuts through the din like few others.

•"The Next Day," by David Bowie: This is straight up the best work Bowie has done since at least "Modern Love," and probably earlier. The master has emerged with a fresh slate of ideas and some new perspectives on some old ones, marrying pop energy and an underlying maturity to reaffirm his position of one of music's greats.

•"Matangi," by M.I.A.: This isn't an easily digestible album, but it encapsulates all of the Sri Lankan rapper's political outrage and global perspective in a way that's honed to devastating effectiveness. M.I.A. doesn't just share her anger, she makes the listener experience it. To a dance beat. Simply awesome.

•"Home Alone Forever," by Steve Subrizi: This Boston singer-songwriter's latest album is strange, off-kilter and, at times, a little heartbreaking, but the underlying pluckiness of the whole thing gives the album heart, and transforms it from something that could be terribly depressing into something that's endearing, that makes you want to root for Subrizi's hard-luck protaganist.

• "The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight ...," bt Neko Case: Case has always written beautiful, lyric-driven music, but she just keeps getting better and better. One need only listen to the devastating recent single "Calling Cards" to understand just how much power and emotion this musician can pack into a spare, delicate song.

•"Basement Takes," by The Duende Project: This was the Worcester poetry and music combo's first recording with drummer Chris O'Donnell, and it's obvious how transformative the addition's been, the percussion both grounding the work and lending it momentum. Of course, the band's become a four-piece since this was released, so this is a record of a fairly brief moment in the band's existence.

•"gradients," by ii nub: This local electronic music duo creates atmospheric soundscapes that have a sort of mass to them, that are beautiful and abstract, and yet maintain a sort of gravity. This is the sort of album you need to immerse yourself in, but if you do, it's very rewarding.

Is that it? Probably not. I've almost certainly omitted something fabulous, and there's no getting around that. But that's inevitable when there's so much great music to discover out there, if only you're willing to listen past the commercial radio dials.